The Athletic | Football

The Athletic | Football

@TheAthleticFC

Every football story that matters. Breaking news. In-depth analysis. 🔖 Subscribe: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/uksubscribe

UK https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/ Joined 2018-03-06 Date of Analysis: Dec 16, 2025

730,794

Followers

324

Following

57,013

Tweets

197.5

Avg Engagement

3,764

Listed

Yes

Verified

Account Overview

What This Report Covers

This comprehensive analysis examines @TheAthleticFC's Twitter/X presence across multiple dimensions. We analyze tweet content, engagement patterns, audience demographics, posting habits, and network connections to provide actionable insights about this account's social media strategy and influence.

Account Classification

  • Account Size: Macro Influencer (100K+)
  • Account Age:2018-03-06
  • Verification:Yes
  • Location:UK

Data Summary

  • Tweets Analyzed:3,250
  • Avg Likes per Tweet:168.6
  • Avg Retweets per Tweet:28.9
  • Followers Analyzed:50,000

Engagement Analysis

Based on 3,250 tweets

The account maintains a high level of engagement, with an average of 3,748 likes and 582 retweets per tweet. This indicates a loyal and active follower base that values the content provided.

168.6

Avg Likes/Tweet

28.9

Avg Retweets/Tweet

547,960

Total Likes

93,992

Total Retweets

Engagement Quality Analysis

Median-based metrics that resist fake virality and outliers.

109

Median Likes

12

Median Retweets

209

75th Percentile

8,558

Top Tweet

0.27

Engagement per 1K Followers

Normalized influence metric

Long Tail

Engagement Pattern

Mix of hits and regular posts

Posting Behavior

Content style and format preferences

Broadcaster

Primarily shares original content

73.4%

Original

7.8%

Replies

18.6%

Retweets

0.2%

Quotes

0.0%

Threads

0.0%

With Media

59.7%

With Links

51.4%

With #Tags

72.6%

With @Mentions

41.6%

With Emojis

198

Avg Length

Audience Reaction Profile

Broadcast

Focuses on original content over replies

0.11

Reply/Original Ratio

0.01

Quote/RT Ratio

Posting Rhythm

Consistent

Regular posting cadence

74.3%

Weekday Posts

25.7%

Weekend Posts

Top Hashtags

#mufc (238) #ucl (207) #lfc (178) #cfc (153) #mcfc (124) #afc (108) #nufc (104) #pl (100) #thfc (98) #rmcf (93)

Most Mentioned

@lauriewhitwell (91) @jamespearcelfc (87) @btsportfootball (84) @david_ornstein (76) @skysportspl (73) @sjohnsonsport (73) @thetotallyshow (72) @jackpittbrooke (69) @theathleticfc (56) @mjshrimper (56)

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Content Strategy Analysis

Based on 3,250 tweets

Content Type Distribution

Content Breakdown

Original Tweets 2,387 (73%)
Replies 253 (8%)
Retweets 605 (19%)
Quote Tweets 5 (0%)

What This Reveals About Their Strategy

This is a content-creator focused account that primarily shares original thoughts, ideas, and media. With original content dominating their feed, they position themselves as a source of new information rather than a curator. This strategy works well for establishing thought leadership.

The 605 retweets (19% of activity) show they also amplify content from others, which helps build relationships with other accounts and provides value to followers by surfacing relevant content.

Posting Patterns & Optimal Timing

Based on 3,250 tweets

Engagement by Hour (UTC)

Posting Frequency Over Time

Timing Insights

Understanding when an account posts and when their audience is most responsive provides valuable competitive intelligence. The charts above show when this account's content receives the most engagement, which often correlates with when their specific audience is most active on the platform.

Peak posting times vary significantly based on an account's audience demographics, timezone distribution, and content type. Accounts with global audiences often see engagement spread across multiple time windows, while those with regional focus may have more concentrated peaks.

Audience Demographics

Based on 50,000 followers

The primary audience includes football enthusiasts, fans of specific clubs, and those interested in player stories and match analysis. The content appeals to a broad demographic, with a focus on in-depth and timely information.

Average

Audience Quality

27.3%

Suspicion Index

36.3%

Low-Quality %

21

Median Reach

Audience Quality Signals

Lower percentages indicate healthier, more authentic followers.

48.8%

Empty Bio

33.9%

<10 Tweets

6.7%

Mass Following (>2K)

0.0%

New (<90 days)

58.7%

Low Ratio (<0.1)

0.0%

New (<180 days)

92.2%

No URL

23.9%

<3 Tweets

Free Mode Analysis: These quality metrics use heuristic signals (empty bios, low tweets, suspicious ratios). For ML-powered bot detection with 95%+ accuracy, use our dedicated tool.

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Follower Reach & Influence

This account's followers have their own audiences, creating potential for secondary amplification.

23,870,711

Total Potential Reach

21

Median Follower Reach

116

75th Percentile Reach

4.1%

>1K followers

0.4%

>10K followers

0.1%

>50K followers

0.1%

>100K followers

Creator vs Consumer Split

Classification based on tweet activity: Creators (>100 tweets), Consumers (10-100 tweets), Dormant (<10 tweets).

43.8%

Creators

21,921 accounts

22.2%

Consumers

11,108 accounts

33.9%

Dormant

16,971 accounts

300

Verified Followers

0.6% of total

5.2%

Professional Bios

founder, dev, analyst, etc.

0.07

Median Follow Ratio

follower/following

Follower Influence Distribution

How many followers do their followers have?

Follower Account Age

How long have followers been on Twitter?

Geographic Distribution

Top locations where followers are based (from those who share location data):

Lagos, Nigeria (536) London, England (494) Nigeria (403) Nairobi, Kenya (300) United Kingdom (228) London (228) Accra, Ghana (219) Kampala, Uganda (218) England, United Kingdom (203) Manchester, England (189)

752

Verified Followers

0.74% of total

9,752

Protected Accounts

9.66% of total

5 years

Avg Account Age

of their followers

Notable Followers (By Influence)

Top accounts following this user, sorted by their follower count:

Username Followers Profession Interests
@LaLigaEN 2,193,779 Sports Media Football, La Liga, International
@LeonKrauze 1,584,445 Journalist TV, Journalism, Podcasts
@nurisahin 1,248,945 Footballer Football, Dad, Antalyaspor
@eazcarraga 1,226,405 Media Media, Entertainment, Television
@LeBronJames 1,005,321 - -
@SarahAbdelbaky1 985,901 Sports Journalist Sports, Journalism, Dreams
@StanCollymore 894,283 Football Analyst Football, Anti-Racism, Mental Health
@ZachBoychuk 829,849 Hockey Player Hockey, Meme/NFT Trading, Ethereum
@Tim_Cahill 742,036 Athlete Football, Education, World Cup
@Ryanbabel 739,519 Footballer Football, Music, Activism

Top Keywords in Follower Bios

football (3,350) united (1,713) arsenal (1,637) love (1,635) life (1,560) sports (1,542) chelsea (1,370) fc (1,299) manchester (1,201) god (1,155)

Top Hashtags in Follower Bios

#mufc (391) #coyg (179) #ynwa (171) #glazersout (148) #cfc (125) #arsenal (125) #ggmu (119) #lfc (110) #halamadrid (96) #coys (83)

53,326

Followers With Bio

47,673

Followers Without Bio

52.8%

% With Bio

47.2%

% Without Bio

Why Audience Demographics Matter

Understanding who follows an account reveals the type of influence they hold. Accounts followed primarily by users with few followers indicate broad, mainstream appeal. Those with many high-follower followers have greater potential for content amplification through secondary sharing.

Account age distribution also tells a story: a follower base with many new accounts might indicate recent viral growth, while established followers suggest long-term, stable influence. Geographic data helps understand the cultural context and timezone spread of the audience.

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Viral Tweets

Top 5 by likes+RTs from 3,250 analyzed

26,582

Combined Engagement

23,950

Total Likes

2,632

Total Retweets

5,316

Avg per Tweet

Key Metrics for Viral Tweets

0%

With Media

60%

With Hashtags

0%

With @Mentions

100%

With Links

Topical Analysis:

Football News Player Analysis Breaking Updates Controversies In-Depth Coverage Social Responsibility Player Stories

Key Insights & Takeaways

The account often covers player controversies and personal stories, which can drive engagement and discussion. It highlights both on-field and off-field events, providing a well-rounded view of the football world. The use of verified links and hashtags helps in driving traffic and increasing visibility.

Strengths

  • + Strong engagement rates above platform average
  • + Established follower base of 730,794
  • + Strong original content creation
  • + Active presence with consistent posting

Opportunities

  • ~ Optimize posting times for peak engagement windows
  • ~ Analyze top-performing content for replicable patterns
  • ~ Leverage geographic concentration for targeted content
  • ~ Explore collaboration potential with followed accounts

Summary

This analysis of @TheAthleticFC reveals an well-established Twitter presence with 730,794 followers. The account demonstrates a content-creator strategy, averaging 197.5 engagements per tweet. Key strengths include consistent posting and an engaged audience, with opportunities to further optimize timing and content strategy based on the patterns identified in this report.

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About This Analysis: This analysis is based on a snapshot of followers, following, and recent tweets. It evaluates structure, quality, and behavior, not historical growth. Metrics like growth rate, momentum, churn, or spike analysis require time-series data which is not available from a single snapshot.

Data collected and analyzed by twtData | Analysis date: Dec 16, 2025